My Trip Schedule (pls review and leave feedback)

[ashley17]

I've become pretty pro over the years at knowing when to do what at Disneyland, but this will be my first trip to Disney World.

Could you guys please review my trip itinerary and let me know if you see anything that I should change, or any other feedback you can think of?

For the most part I used the touring plans from the unofficial guide to WDW, but I changed a few things and added a few things to customize them. I'm also very curious about how much time it takes to leave a park in the middle of the day for lunch and then return. Would that interrupt my touring plans at all?

My trip dates are Sept 11-20th 2007 and we'll be staying at Disney's Caribbean beach resort.

Thank you!

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Tuesday Sept 11 (Arrive in the afternoon)

-check into hotel
-catch bus from hotel to Downtown Disney (west side)
-eat dinner at Planet Hollywood
-play at Disney Quest in Downtown Disney


Wednesday Sept 12 (MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 1)
Magic Kingdom hours: 9am-9pm

-arrive at the Magic Kingdom about 30 minutes before official park opening time
-when admitted, obtain guide maps and the daily entertainment schedule in the tunnel beneath the train station
-move as fast as you can down main street to the central hub
-proceed to tomorrowland and ride space mountain
-while in tomorrowland, ride buzz lightyear
-after exiting buzz lightyear, proceed to fantasyland via tomorrowland (passing tomorrowland speedway)
-once in fantasyland, experience the many adventures of winnie the pooh
-exit pooh and turn left past the carousel to peter pan's flight. ride now
-exit peter pan to the right and see mickey's philharmagic
-also in fantasyland, ride it's a small world
-exit small world to the right and proceed to liberty square
-turn right and enjoy the haunted mansion
-check the daily schedule for parades and other live performances. interrupting the touring plan here won't cause any problems. stop for lunch and enjoy the parade.
-proceed to frontierland and see the country bear jamboree
-take a raft to tom sawyer island and explore
-after returning from tom sawyer island, head to tomorrowland via the central hub
-in tomorrowland see stitch's great escape and the laugh floor comedy club
-while in tomorrowland, ride the tomorrowland transit authority
-have dinner, revisit favorite attractions and find a spot to view 'wishes: a firework spectacular'
-main street USA will stay open an hour past park closing. take some time to browse shops and take photos

Thursday Sept 13 (ANIMAL KINGDOM/PLEASURE ISLAND)
Animal Kingdom hours: 9-5pm
Pleasure Island hours: 7pm-2am

-arrive at Animal Kingdom about 30 minutes before official park opening time
-as soon as the park opens obtain fastpasses for Expedition Everest in Asia
-once you've obtained fastpasses, continue walking straight over the iron bridge to Dinoland USA
-ride primeval whirl (if interested)
-follow the signs to dinosaur and ride (if interested)
-next, retrace your steps to discovery island, bearing right after you cross the Dinoland USA bridge. Cross into Asia, turn right, and take the path to your left and ride Kali River Rapids. If you don't feel like getting wet, return here toward the end of the day instead.
-walk the Maharaja Jungle Trek
-return to Expedition Everest and ride using your fastpasses
-Move into Africa and obtain fastpasses for Kilimanjaro Safaris.
-take a break and have some lunch
-after lunch, take the Wildlife express train from Africa to the Conservation Station/Rafiki's Planet Watch. Tour the exhibits, then take the train back to Africa when done.
-get off the train and walk the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
-experience Kilimanjaro Safaris using your fastpass.
-cross the bridge from Africa back to Discovery Island. Continue a counterclockwise tour of the park, keeping the tree of life on your left.
-At the entrance to Camp Minnie-Mickey, turn right and cross the bridge. See festival of the Lion King (if interested)
-Tour the character trails in Camp Minnie-Mickey
-return to Discovery Island and turn right, keeping the tree on your left. Walk counterclockwise until you
reach the tree. Stop and check out the tree and it's surrounding area.
-shop, snack or revisit any favorite attractions now
-be sure to allocate some time on your way out to visit the zoological exhibits in The Oasis on your way out.
-take disney transit to a disney resort for dinner (any suggestions?)
-head back to hotel and get ready for clubbing at Pleasure Island
-Pleasure Island closes at 2am.


Friday Sept 14 (POOL DAY/MICKEY'S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY @7PM)
Mickey's Halloween Party Hours: 7pm-12am

-spend the morning and early afternoon lounging at the hotel's several pools and white sand beach
-around 1pm head to Downtown Disney Marketplace for some shopping
-have hair done at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
-enjoy an early dinner at the Rainforest Cafe
-head back to the hotel around 4pm
-get ready for Mickey's not so scary halloween party
-arrive at Magic Kingdom 40 minutes before Halloween Party opening


Saturday Sept 15 (TYPHOON LAGOON/ MAGIC KINGDOM EVE)
Typhoon Lagoon Hours: 10am-5pm
Magic Kingdom Hours: 9am-9pm

-arrive at Typhoon Lagoon 40 minutes prior to opening
-ride all of the slides you desire first, as these tend to get busiest in the afternoons.
-leave Typhoon Lagoon around 3pm. Since this park closes at 5, it's a good idea to leave a little sooner
and beat the crowds.
-head back to hotel and change. Plan to head to the Magic Kingdom around 5, ensuring there is enough time to grab some dinner before Spectromagic. Since this is the only night to see this show, ensure you have enough time (about an hour or more since Saturdays can be very busy) to find a good spot. Show starts at 8pm.
-This is also a good night to ride with slow lines during Wishes.
-enjoy the shops, take photos, see live entertainment, revisit any favorite attractions


Sunday Sept 16 (EPCOT)
Epcot hours: 9am-9pm

-arrive at Epcot 40 minutes before official park opening time
-obtain fastpasses for soarin' (located in future world west)
-proceed to test track in future world east and ride
-ride mission space if interested
-exit the land pavilion and turn left. ride the seas with nemo and friends
-watch turtle talk with crush
-return to the land and watch the circle of life (if desired)
-ride soarin' with fastpasses obtained earlier
-head to spaceship earth
-enter the world showcase portion of the park-take a break and have some lunch with the Disney Princesses in Norway
-return to the beginning of the world showcase and initiate a clockwise tour of the park. tour each country,relax and enjoy
-if you haven't already done so, have dinner.
-commence 'drinking around the world'
-find a spot for Illuminations, prefferably 30 minutes prior to the show. After Illuminations, all of Epcot
closes. Take your time leaving as everyone tends to rush out of the park after the show.
-head back to hotel and enjoy a swim in the pool


Monday Sept 17 (MGM DAY) -evening magic hours!-
MGM hours: 9am-8pm (evening magic hours 8pm-11pm)

-arrive at MGM, admission in hand, 30 to 40 minutes before official park opening time
-when admitted, grab a park map and a daily entertainment schedule
-walk down hollywood blvd and turn right onto sunset blvd
-stay to the left side of the street then at the end turn left toward rockin' roller coaster (if the area
is blocked off by a rope, stay to the left of the rope. this side tends to get through faster)
-once the rope is dropped, ride rockin' roller coaster
-after exiting rockin' roller coaster, turn left toward tower of terror. If the wait is more than 30 mins
obtain a fastpass & take photos or shop in the area. If the line is shorter, ride now.
-backtrack down sunset blvd and turn right onto hollywood blvd. On the far right side of the giant mickey
hat is the great movie ride, ride now.
-exit the great movie ride and turn left, then turn left once more onto mickey ave. See Walt Disney: One
Man's Dream
-take the backlot tour
-check the daily entertainment schedule for performance times for beauty and the beast, work this show in
around lunch.
-see muppet vision 3d near the streets of america
-break for lunch and obtain evening magic hour passes (where??)
-check the daily entertainment schedule for performance times for indiana jones stunt spectacular as well
as voyage of the little mermaid. also take the magic of disney animation tour
-check the daily entertainment schedule for fantasmic
-wander, take photos and eat dinner while waiting for fantasmic!. remember to arrive about 30-60 minutes
early to ensure good seating.
-eat, shop, take photos, and revisit favorite attractions


Tuesday Sept 18 (BLIZZARD BEACH/MAGIC KINGDOM EVE)
Blizzard Beach Hours: 10am-5pm
Magic Kingdom Hours: 9am-8pm

-arrive at Blizzard Beach 40 minutes prior to opening
-ride all of the slides you desire first, as these tend to get busiest in the afternoons.
-leave Blizzard Beach around 4pm
-head back to hotel and change
-eat dinner at the Magic Kingdom
-enjoy the shops, take photos, see live entertainment, revisit any favorite attractions


Wednesday Sept 19 (MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 2)
Magic Kingdom Hours: 9am-8pm

-arrive at the Magic Kingdom about 30 minutes before official park opening
-pick up guide maps and the day's entertainment schedule
-proceed to the end of main street and immediately ride splash mountain in frontierland
-ride big thunder mountain railroad, next to splash mountain
-proceed to adventureland and ride the jungle cruise. if the wait seems long use fastpass. while waiting
browse the area, take photos etc.
-check time of parade
-across the street visit the enchanted tiki room
-ride pirates of the caribbean
-find a spot for the parade about 30 minutes before it begins
-after the parade, have lunch
-go to the frontierland train station between splash and big thunder mountain . catch the walt disney world
railroad to mickey's toontown fair
-tour the fair and meet disney characters
-exit the fair via the path to tomorrowland
-Enjoy shops, take photos, see live entertainment, revisit any favorite attractions


Thursday Sept 20 (DEPARTURE DAY)
Magic Kingdom Hours: 9am-9pm (early morning entry hours 8am-9am)

-take Disney resort transit to the Magic Kingdom and from there take the monorail to Disney's Polynesian Resort
-Enjoy Ohana Breakfast with Lilo, Stitch and Mickey
-take the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom and pick up any last minute gifts etc
-take resort transit back to Caribbean Beach hotel, head to airport from there

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Thank you for taking the time to review this for me. I would greatly appreciate any advice or feedback you can give me.

One last thing... I am very worried about all this 'lots of rain' business I keep hearing about September. I am really wanting some great photos, I love blue sky, and I want to know if I should seriously reconsider going in Sept (I've already given work my vacation dates and stuff though). Any feedback on the weather around these dates? I purchased a professional camera just for this trip, so i really want good photos!

 

[ashley17]

Ashley,

Who is in your party? how many adults/kids etc?

It's just myself and a friend of mine. We're both 21 but we're both kids at heart (still wanna see all the characters even though I've been to disney land every year for a long time!)

Off topic: I'm REALLY interested in finding Kim Possible and I'm seeing more of Marie from the Aristocats lately. Any tips?

 

[ashley17]

Wow! My wife thinks that *I* overplan! :lol:

I do alot of planning, but I stop short of planning the order in which I do every single ride. I plan what parks to go to on what day, where to eat (table service, not counter service) and what to do after we're done at that park. But once in the park, I just go on the rides as whim dictates, or lines, etc.

The general itenerary looks good, as far as what parks you are doing on each day. But I personally think it's unnecessary to plan the details of what rides you ride and in what order. :wave:

In past trips to Disneyland in California I've never planned like this, but that's because I know the park so well.
I picked up the unofficial guide to Disney World and this schedule is based on their touring plans which are proven to save FOUR park hours a day just riding in this particular order.

Is September not busy enough to have to follow them??

 

[EMThompsen]

I think starting with a plan is a good idea but be aware that plans can change in an instant at WDW. . You'll get the lay of the land as you go.You'll find yourself reorganizing your plans in the middle of the day depending on crowds, weather, unexpected finds like character sightings etc. Some rides or attractions may nor be high up on your priorities.You might want to skip those and come back later or go on them to take up the time after you've picked up a fast pass for a ride you want to really go on. You have to decide what you must do or else you can't go on living & what you can save for another time. When you get back to the hotel at the end of each night review your plans and update them for the next day. You might be able to stick with the original plan but maybe not... It's a fun puzzle really & remember: Go With The Flow & Enjoy

 

[ashley17]

First things first. everthing looks great. Here are a few helpfull hints that might help a little bit. Every hotel on the property should have guide maps to all the theme parks and dtd as well as both waterparks. Grab these at check in. This was you can fine tune anything that you need and go over yur game plan possibly at diiner at planet hollywood? not to mentio you dont have to fight threw th crowd at the parks to get to them.

animal kingdom.

This is what worked great for us last summer . Make a reservation for Donalds for an 8am breakfast. This is the first seating of the day. you can enter the park at 7:40 am. Take your time breezing threw the front to the park attractions that you would have past running for everestt. the park is empty its a good time for it. Make you way to dinoland usa for breakfast by 8am sharp. eat within an hour and get out for the rope drop. the area that you are in is clode to the drop near prime evil whirl. when they drop the rope sprint down to everest and you can be first or darn close to it if you hurry. when you get off get another fast pass for this and head on down to another ride. this works great for all the theme parks if you want to get a jump on the crowds and the day at the parks.

:lol: :sohappy:

wow thank you so much, those are really great tips!
I was worried about the character breakfasts not leaving enough time to begin our day right when the park opens but clearly they're better than that!

 

[ashley17]

I think starting with a plan is a good idea but be aware that plans can change in an instant at WDW. . You'll get the lay of the land as you go.You'll find yourself reorganizing your plans in the middle of the day depending on crowds, weather, unexpected finds like character sightings etc. Some rides or attractions may nor be high up on your priorities.You might want to skip those and come back later or go on them to take up the time after you've picked up a fast pass for a ride you want to really go on. You have to decide what you must do or else you can't go on living & what you can save for another time. When you get back to the hotel at the end of each night review your plans and update them for the next day. You might be able to stick with the original plan but maybe not... It's a fun puzzle really & remember: Go With The Flow & Enjoy

thanks!

Yes lots of people are saying "don't overplan" and honestly I guess I didn't explain myself very well. I like to plan what park I'm going to on what day, but if the weather calls for a change in plans or whatever i'm ok with it!

The only reason these plans are so specific are because I thought I should be following the touring plans in the unofficial guide. I would LOVE to not have to.

I guess I just know my park (Disneyland) so well that I'm worried I won't know WDW very well when we get there and we won't get to see everything.

 

[rlaeromech]

It's just myself and a friend of mine. We're both 21 but we're both kids at heart (still wanna see all the characters even though I've been to disney land every year for a long time!)

Off topic: I'm REALLY interested in finding Kim Possible and I'm seeing more of Marie from the Aristocats lately. Any tips?

If no kids, I would scratch any plans to go back to the hotel in the middle of the day. The most important thing IMO is to get there when the parks open. You can ride most then.

And I don't think you are overplanning, we all do in someway, in fact it looks like you are using touring plans. It is great to have a plan, I don't really care to get into a park and ask, ok what do you want to do, you can waste a lot of time doing that. Have a plan, but don't worry about sticking to it religiously. My brother and cousin and I did all 4 parks in one day and we did all the rides we wanted to do and it was because we had a plan. We made adjustments when we needed and rested when we want but it turned out to be a great day thanks to good planning.

I have always seen KP in MGM/DS in the back by the entrance to the ride with catastrophe canyon.

 

[David]

As a planner myself, I admire your enthusiasm--but I agree that I would relax my schedule a bit. There are just too many things that can interefere with your plans, then your schedule is out the window and you become frustrated that you are going to miss something. It looks like you will be at the parks plenty of days to take in almost everything, especially with MNSSHP. As others have posted, I would suggest planning which park to go to on certain days, and hitting major attractions if you are there when the park opens, use FastPass whenever you can, but beyond that, let the magic take over an enjoy the parks.

Some suggest returning to your rooms for a nap or swim. We do not do that, but leave that as an option if you feel that you need to.

Have a great trip.

 

[ashley17]

As a planner myself, I admire your enthusiasm--but I agree that I would relax my schedule a bit. There are just too many things that can interefere with your plans, then your schedule is out the window and you become frustrated that you are going to miss something. It looks like you will be at the parks plenty of days to take in almost everything, especially with MNSSHP. As others have posted, I would suggest planning which park to go to on certain days, and hitting major attractions if you are there when the park opens, use FastPass whenever you can, but beyond that, let the magic take over an enjoy the parks.

Some suggest returning to your rooms for a nap or swim. We do not do that, but leave that as an option if you feel that you need to.

Have a great trip.

doesn't it waste your day heading back to the hotel in the middle of it though?

 

[sbkline]

doesn't it waste your day heading back to the hotel in the middle of it though?

Yes. Which is why I'd prefer not to do it. :animwink: :lol:

 

[eroyee]

:wave: Wow, slow down, girl.!! You dont have to plan ride after ride, etc. Just plan the park for the day or something and go with that. You will find yourself frustrated and exhausted all too soon. dont go back for lunch unless you want to swim or something. takes too much time out of the parks. best of all, enjoy your time. stop and see things so you will have great memories. WDW is way bigger than Disneyland.

 

[David]

doesn't it waste your day heading back to the hotel in the middle of it though?

We think it is a waste of time, that is why we do not go back to the hotel.

 

[Hakunamatata]

doesn't it waste your day heading back to the hotel in the middle of it though?

Depends on how long you are going to be there and how late the parks are open on any given day. For instance, if MK opens at 9 and is going to stay open till 1 am, then I would definately head back to the resort for a few hours during the mid day. We have found that staying an extra day or so, and making those days half days in the parks does wonders to the attitudes of all involved. Plus, you get to throw in a little relaxation to the trip.